Winston...and beer

So, my little pup Winston will be 15 years old come March 2009. That's an eternity in dog...or gay years! He's been with me since he was 8 weeks and 2 days old. Full of piss and vinegar in his younger days, he's mellowed out quite a bit in recent years, although he still likes to wrestle his brother Jeb on the beach some mornings.

Anyway, just since moving up here, Winston has started to freak out when there are loud noises like fireworks or thunderstorms. And I mean FREAK OUT. On July 4th, he pawed open a gate that he never used for two years and ran a good mile away. During thunderstorms, he paces and pants and paws at my leg (or nearest available body part) with the wide-eyed look of horror.

So, a couple weeks ago, during one of the late afternoon thunderstorms passing over the Cape, I was trying to work and once again, the boy was Cr@zY! I turned around from the desk to try and calm him (or maybe to tell him to "relax!") and what to my wandering eyes should appear... but a bottle of Sam Adams Summer Ale. I thought, well, it works for me...Let's give it a shot! After pouring the boy a bowl of the brewski, complete with a big head of suds, he dove right into it like Dad would on a hot summer afternoon at Tea Dance. The beer seemed to relax him a bit. He became less edgy, less hyper and had a mellower look in his eyes - something I learned a long time ago has the same effect on me!

I don't know how much longer the kid will be with me. He's slowing. He's grayed out. His once astounding singing voice coming less frequently and a little more gravelly. But I do know that he likes beer - and it apparently helps him relax. Our time together is surely limited so my spoiled kid will get beer...or anything he wants. Now, if I could only teach him to open the fridge and get Dad another hooch!